How to submit a story for Boing Boing

To make it easier for us to track each idea or submission as it comes in, please post your ideas and/or write-ups as new discussions in the Boing Boing story ideas forum. I think that will also make it easier to tell which comments go with which stories.

For full write-ups, you can also email them to me at jlevine [at] ala.org or to Tina Coleman at ccoleman [at] ala.org.

Here's the template for what we need as a write-up that can be submitted directly to Boing Boing.

Title (preferably something that will appeal to Boing Boing's Happy Mutants and isn't just a press release headline)

Content of the post - don't forget to include any URLs that should be embedded in the text

URLs of any media to be included (pictures, video, etc.) or you can attach files to the Connect discussion

Byline as "Firstname Lastname, Organizational Affiliation" with a URL for the organization's website (or however else the person should be identified); eg: Jane Doe, Awesome (IL) Public Library

Note that our preference would be to have someone from the owning library do the write-up and include a link to a page on the library's site so that they get the full credit and traffic, but we're also happy to take submissions from anyone who is passionate about an idea.

Libraries in New York City are facing a potential $106 Million cut to their budgets right now. Should these cuts go through more than 60 neighborhood libraries will close and over a thousand librarians and library staff will be laid off.

Once again, for a FOURTH YEAR New Yorkers will be standing up for libraries at the 24 Hour Read In, June 8th & 9th, 4PM - 4PM at the gorgeous Brooklyn Public Library Central Library. Once again proud library supporters will read around the clock, a literal full day of reading in support of libraries in the five boroughs.

These book nerd activists go through a New York City night in fifteen minute shifts. Usually about a hundred people end up reading in the course of the rally, a hundred voices, a hundred readers. There is a constant flow of words and as people’s time runs out there can be strange fragments that lead into the next text in incongruous ways. Disparate voices chose disparate texts, it is fascinating, just like the city whose libraries it is in support of.

There are still time slots available around the clock. Sign up now and help us keep the library doors open.

NYC 24 Hour Read In Rules

Doing a 24 Hour rally outside in New York City which is open to the general public can be an interesting experience. We have a few, a very few rules which we ask that people keep to.

No porn during storytime. 8AM - 1PM on Sunday June 9th is Family Storytime. If you want to rock a robot voice for the kiddies for your fifteen minutes we think that is awesome. Please leave Shades of Grey for

The Dark Hours, Midnight to 4AM. Things can get pretty racy. As it gets later the stories get dirtier and hecklers may chime in with crib notes and commentary.

Please show up fifteen minutes before your fifteen minute reading slot and read for your full fifteen minutes but ONLY for fifteen minutes.

Don’t show up drunk or high. We will give your slot to someone else.

Please just read, no speeches, no polemics, just read. If members of the City Council, the heads of Brooklyn Public Library, New York Public Library, and Queens Library can refrain from oratory so can you.

That is it, no more rules. Come out, be a book activist, drink some coffee, eat some pizza, share your special book with the world, and stand up for libraries in New York City which are facing cuts of more than $106 Million. If these cuts go through more than 60 libraries will be closed across the city and more than 1,000 librarians and library staff will be laid off.

Thanks for submitting this, Christian! I've submitted the story to Boing Boing. Sometimes it takes them 24-48 hours to post it, but I marked it as time-sensitive so hopefully it will get published soon.